The low carb fad and how it can impact us - Page 4

2LAP, the link to the review in your last post didn't come through... please post it. Thanks.

Hellon Wheels,
Dude, your buggin! I really don't think the low carb thing is taking over. I work for Gatorade and am privey to industry scuttlebut. Most of the food industry is looking at the low carb thing as a possible fad. So they are putting out a few things just to stay afloat and see what happens.
Your weight loss is very admireble. I too started out at 334# and have dropped to 248# since June. In '95' I was 185# and did the Tour DePhoenix century in 4:46. It is my goal to beat that time. Just got to shed the weight.
I am using the Atkins weight management plan. What I have learned is that you don't need to seek out and buy 'low carb' food items. The thing is to learn to eat whole foods and cut out the junk. I think the same can be said about choices for low fat foods. if you read the labels for processed low fat foods, you will find that the fat is replaced with fillers and other junk your body doesn't need. Not all diets will work for every body. The one that works is the one you'll stick to and is compatible with you physiology. Your diet worked for you because that is what your body needed. When the air clears on the low carb trend, I think what people will learn is that all this processed food stuffs that manufactures tell us we want is what led to weight problems in the first place. If we all ate the way people did 100 years ago, we would be alot better off.
Larry S.

I see low carb labels on a lot of things like we see low fat labels. but all that low carb stuff is going to be junk like the low fat stuff is. both will not help anyone out.
I am working on my diet of no grains but some carbs as in beans and some potatoes and fruit and such.

That was the main gist of my post. What I've gleaned from doing Atkins is stick to whole foods. For me, too much of the wrong carbs got stored instead of burned. All of the processed lowfat, lowcarb and convienence foods have not and will never do anybody any good. The thing to learn is what combinations of good whole foods your body utilizes best. Once you've done that, treat any thing else as an occasional treat and don't over indulge. If you want to go far and fast on your bike, don't put junk fuel in your engine.
Larry S.

...put in carbohydrates!

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Sorry, here is the link...http://www.gssiweb.com/reflib/refs/4...23c.cfm?pid=38

By the look of the other posts in the thread it might be received badly, but it really does represent the sport/exercise research and what sports scientists and nutritionalists advice for the 'normal' endurance athlete.

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Thanks for the interesting link. The low-fat menu advice for fast-food restaurants is valuable....the choices are there at most of the chains if you pick up and read the nutrition guides they have available. At McDonalds, I like Egg McMuffin for breakfast...300 calories, a poached egg and bit of ham, but still low in fat.

... even lower if you take the yolk out of the poached egg.

2LAP, thanks for the link.

With the US getting Gold in the Obesity race I would say we need to cut back on all food groups. Greed can be a real killer wouldn't you say. Rather than gobbling up supersized portions why don't you do the right thing and moderate. Yeah right I wonder when we'll see that.

My body doesn't seem to conform to the established research. I've been on the Atkin's Diet now since end of July and have lost 35 pounds from 225 to 190. At first I was very worried that going on my usual weekend group rides with no carbs I was going to bonk for sure. For the first few weeks I skipped the diet on Friday's and mornings before my rides filling up on carbs. Then about 4 weeks in I decided I would just go for it and have eggs prior to my ride with no carbs with virtually no glycogen stores. I found no appreciable difference in performance. And I'm not talking easy riding either. Depending on wind and hills I usually average between 19-22 mph for a minimum of 45 to 60 miles, and spend half of my time above 85% MHR with plenty of intervals at or above LTH.

Just my observations from my own experience. It may be different for other people and as we see here in this thread some people can't handle the increased fat load. In the end like some of the other posters have said you have to go with what works for you.

Fats and carbs are not evil and are essential for our bodies. For example while most of your body will happily use energy from fat, our brains will not. Eating zero fat would be equally as bad. Finding the right mix that works for you is the key. If your metabolism allows you to eat plenty of carbs and maintain a healthy wait then consider yourself lucky. For me I have found that sugary carbs and potatoes are particulalry bad for my metabolism and my body seems very happy to replace these with fats, protiens or leafy green vegetables.

David

Hay Dave, its good you have found something that works for you. Its difficult to see exactly what you are eating in a forum, but I guess if you are in the latter stages of Atkins then you will be eating some carbs.

If your carb intake is indeed very low I'm supprised you don't get the knock after 1 to 2 hours. The problem with exercise and low carb diets occurs when your glycogen stores are low or you are riding at high intensity.

Good luck with the weight loss.

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Actually, stress and high diet exacerbate IBS. The cause of IBS is gastrointestinal motility (food makes it's way through a bit quicker/slower then it should) and increased sensitivity to gi pain/distention. Some speculation revolves around serotonin release as being a primary factor in the motility problem.

What's amazing is that, until recently, the disorder was minimized. Congrats on getting a dietary handle on things.

Please, this example is totally irrelevant (see another thread on that).

The main point is that people eat too much, and too much of it contains too much sugar, fat etc. The only rule you should follow is "eat just what you need and when you need it". For example, a little sugar once in a while when you are physically active (not necessarily training!) is good, yet a lot of sugar is bad, especially if you are seated in an office all day.

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Kan Ya Ma Kan...

You need to have a more open mind about such things. Ketogenic dieting has no deleterious effect on hepatic or renal function. Nitrogen balance - while fluctuating somewhat in response to the restriction of CHO intake - is subsequently regained, and maintained. And on the plus side, there are numerous and well-documented positive effects of a ketogenic diet on blood lipid profile, arterial health, blood pressure, chronic joint inflammation, allergic immune response.... etc. Beyond the literature, I have my own experience with a ketogenic diet and the results were superb, both in terms of health and BF loss without loss of LBM.

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Steve Holt
The Vegetarian Bodybuilder
www.vegetarianbodybuilder.com

I HIGHLY doubt it. I eat LOTS of grains, but they are whole grains. I also do not shun sugar.

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